1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to a foldable container comprising a bottom plate, side plates and first hinges for connecting the side plates to the bottom plate, and a roof plate that can be lifted from the side plates.
2. Description of Related Art
Such a foldable container with a raisable roof plate is known from the international application WO 2009/034142. This prior art document discloses the application of a balancing mechanism in order to assist during the conversion from the erect into the collapsed position of the container, wherein the side plates are folded down in order to eventually rest on the bottom plate, and conversely to assist also in the process of converting the container from the collapsed into the erect position when the side plates are lifted back into their upright position. According to this document the roof plate may be completely detached from the remainder of the container and this roof plate of the prior art container plays no role in the conversion of the container from the erect position into the collapsed position or vice versa. On the contrary, the roof plate of the prior art container requires separate handling making the conversion of the known container from an erect to a collapsed position, or vice versa, rather cumbersome.
FR-A-2 699 513 discloses a foldable container comprising a bottom plate, side plates and first hinges for connecting the side plates to the bottom plate, and a roof plate that is raisable from the side plates, wherein the roof plate connects to opposite side plates by inter-positioned connecting rods, wherein each connecting rod has at a first extremity a second hinge that connects to a side plate and at a second extremity opposite to said first extremity is connected to a carriage that is slidably mounted on the roof plate.